KQED News Mind/Shift – Deborah Farmer Kris
“Many of today’s parents and teachers came of age in the 1980s and 1990s — a time when the self-esteem movement was in its zenith. Self-esteem was supposed to be a panacea for a variety of social challenges, from substance abuse to violent crime. The research, however, did not support such broad claims.” (more)
The Guardian – Alex Bellos
“Today’s puzzles come from Catriona Shearer, a maths teacher at a school in north Essex, whose colourful geometry puzzles have recently gained a following on social media. These brainteasers are certainly pretty, and some are pretty tricky too!” (more)
Mercury News – Leonid Solovyev
“Imagine walking into a science class and hearing the teacher explain that living creatures are powered by “vital forces.” Such ideas were once standard, but were superseded by the scientific revolutions of the 20th century. As they receded from the cutting edge, they naturally receded from the syllabus.” (more)
Reflector – Kim Grizzard
“When popular athletes like Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry say the Earth is flat or the moon landing was faked, it’s enough to make a science teacher’s hair stand on end.” (more)
District Administration – Emily Ann Brown
“What new edtech innovations will make a big splash in 2019, and what technology will cement its place in classroom instruction? Most educators and experts agree that computer science will remain a mainstay, with more administrators looking to involve younger grades in coding. Educators are finding that reaching the youngest students sparks interest earlier, making it easier to prepare them for today’s high-tech careers and jobs that have yet to emerge.” (more)
Ed Tech Magazine – Eli Zimmerman
“Cloud migration and cybersecurity solutions are two important areas for K–12 schools looking to upgrade their IT infrastructure, according to a survey conducted by nonprofit organization Project Tomorrow. Eighty percent of K–12 districts are using cloud-based software to improve everything from classroom collaboration and administrative tasks to phone systems.” (more)
Edutopia – Emelina Minero
“Mention group work and you’re confronted with pointed questions and criticisms. The big problems, according to our audience: One or two students do all the work; it can be hard on introverts; and grading the group isn’t fair to the individuals. But the research suggests that a certain amount of group work is beneficial.” (more)
Medical X-Press – Staff Writer
“Giving your child extra time on the iPad for good behaviour may not be the best idea according to a new University of Guelph study. Researchers found children, whose parents dole out screen time as a reward or revoke it as punishment, spend more time on a smartphone, tablet, computer or in front of the television than children whose parents don’t.” (more)
The Enterprise – Jeffrey Cutter
“While it is natural for teenagers to learn the hard way, they must have a foundation of knowledge to fall back on to learn from their mistakes. As parents, we oftentimes expect our kids to be financially literate… but what if they are not? You see, Champlain College did a study on National High School Financial Literacy. This study examined how public high schools around the nation prepare teens to deal with real-world finances. Champlain gave Massachusetts a failing grade because its secondary education curriculum framework does not require schools to offer financial literacy courses at all. As a parent of kids in high school and one about to go off to college, I was astonished to learn that there was such a gap. Especially these days, after everything so many families have gone through since the 2008 financial crisis.” (more)
Harvard Business Review – Simon Rodberg
“For too long, the American education system failed too many kids, including far too many poor kids and kids of color, without enough public notice or accountability. To combat this, leaders of all political persuasions championed the use of testing to measure progress and drive better results. Measurement has become so common that in school districts from coast to coast you can now find calendars marked “Data Days,” when teachers are expected to spend time not on teaching, but on analyzing data like end-of-year and mid-year exams, interim assessments, science and social studies and teacher-created and computer-adaptive tests, surveys, attendance and behavior notes. It’s been this way for more than 30 years, and it’s time to try a different approach.” (more)
